If you’re considering becoming a Health Coach, no doubt you’ve seen the words “Health Coach certification” and “certified Health Coach” popping up all over the place in your research. Certification programs have been gaining ground in recent years among coaches who are serious about launching successful Health Coaching careers helping others leads happier, healthier lives.

This post will explore why certification programs are gaining popularity and what the BEST certification programs deliver. But before we dive into all that, let’s first get clear on what certification is.

What Exactly Is a Health Coach Certification Program?

A Health Coach certification program is a training course that prepares future coaches to work professionally with clients. Trainings can take anywhere from a few months to a year to complete, and curriculums can vary pretty extensively. But in general, once a student graduates from a program, they are presented with a certificate of completion to demonstrate they’ve been through the program and are qualified to coach others.

Certificate programs may or may not be accredited. At Health Coach Institute, we do recommend choosing a training that’s been accredited by the International Coach Federation to ensure that your education passes rigorous standards for professional coach training, and will teach you the core competencies you’ll need to build your future career.

To learn more about certification, visit our Health Coach Certification page.

3 Reasons Health Coach Certification Programs Are on the Rise

Reason #1: They prepare Health Coaches for career-readiness.
There are two very important things you need to know in order to launch a successful and sustainable career as a Health Coach. First, you need to know how to coach clients effectively. Second, you need to understand how to create a sustainable, well-paying career. Great certification programs provide Health Coaches with both halves of the equation—the expertise and confidence to transform lives and the business and marketing know-how to build a lucrative career.

Reason #2: They arm coaches to change habits and fight chronic disease.
It’s no secret that we’re facing a global health crisis. Around the world, we’re unhealthier and unhappier than we’ve ever been. Something’s got to change fast or we face a grim future. Health Coaches can play a game-changing role in resetting our health as a society. They hold the key to disease prevention…and that key is habit change. (In fact, that’s precisely why we at Health Coach Institute refer to our graduates as Masters of Habit Change™.) Certification programs teach Health Coaches how to empower others to become active participants in their own health and well-being, how to master health habits that serve them for life, and how to prevent chronic disease in the first place.

Reason #3: They demonstrate proof of coaching expertise.
Coaching is an increasingly competitive market, with over 53,000 coaches around the world as of 2016 (over 17,000 in North America alone) according to this International Coach Federation study. One major way Health Coaches can stand apart from the crowd as a better resource for prospective clients and employers is by obtaining certification. With a certificate, a Health Coach can show proof that they’ve received a world-class training and are qualified to help people get the results they desire.

What Coaches Can Do With Their Certified Health Coach Training

Now that you have a clearer picture of why many Health Coaches are opting to go the certification route and how you can use your Health Coach certificate to do work that inspires you, let’s talk a little bit about what the best programs deliver—what sets them a cut above the rest.

The best trainings go above and beyond in a few key areas. Most notably:

  • Mentorship. Great programs offer students frequent mentorship opportunities where they can learn from successful coaches and ask any questions that come up for them during their training.
  • Hands-On Learning. Truly exceptional programs understand that providing students with hands-on learning opportunities is the best way to prepare them for professional success. To be successful as a Health Coach, it’s important to engage in book learning and practical application. The best programs allow students to work with practice clients during their training, so that they can develop their skills and build confidence working with real people who have real issues.
  • Support. Great programs provide multiple levels of support to help students get the most out of their learning experience and feel fully prepared to rock it as a Health Coach. Some examples of excellent support features to look for in a certification program include: regular office hours, personal mentorship and group coaching opportunities, career guidance, private access to peers, and virtual and in-person workshops and other training opportunities, to name just a few.
  • Community. It’s easy to underestimate the power and importance of community, but having people who are on the same journey as you, rallying around you every step of the way, can make a huge difference in your success. Great programs work hard to create a sense of belonging, providing students with multiple channels of community so they feel supported, uplifted, stretched, and encouraged to create the career they envision.
  • Continued Education. The best programs know that Health Coaching is an evolving and ever-changing industry, and offer their students many opportunities (in-person and virtual) to network, up-level their learning, and take their career to new levels. As a Health Coach, continuing to stay current with the latest health, nutrition, coaching, and business information will ensure you’re primed for career success.

We recommend you spend some time comparing certification programs in each of these key areas to assess them for comprehensiveness. If a training checks off all of the above boxes, you can feel confident your education will offer you every advantage to create a successful career as a Health Coach.

Are There Online Health Coach Certification Programs?

Yes! In fact, more and more Health Coach training programs are being offered online, giving students greater flexibility and convenience to learn on their terms. There are a number of reputable online programs (HCI being one of them), and we encourage you to explore whether or not this type of training makes sense for you. To learn more about the benefits of obtaining your Health Coach certification online, click here.

Interested in learning how our 6-month online certificate program can help you launch an exciting and lucrative Health Coaching career?

Become a Health Coach in 6 Months with Health Coach Institute

Coaching is a great career that you can help others, while also learning how to help your own personal growth. Health Coach Institute is a top health and wellness coaching certification program. Join our Become a Health Coach program and begin coaching in 6 months! If you are already a coach and want to advance your skills, check out HCI’s Coach Mastery program. Feel free to get in touch with with one of our clarity coaches directly, by calling 1-800-303-2399.

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Health Coach Institute provides aspiring Health and Life Coaches with the tools, training, and support to make a great living transforming lives.